Where does “Bible” come from?
Bible derives from English Isabel through Latin biblia, from Ancient Greek βιβλίον, ultimately from Ancient Greek βίβλος meaning "book" with the diminutive suffix -ιον.
Bible (English): A specific version, edition, translation, or copy...
Definitions
- A specific version, edition, translation, or copy...
Ancestry of “Bible”, step by step
Bible traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English bible
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bible | Any book that is of extensive length; A... |
| 2 | Old French | bible | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | biblia | book; Christian scripture; books |
| 4 | Latin | Biblia | the Bible |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | βιβλία | nominative/accusative/vocative plural of βιβλίον |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βιβλίον | Strip of papyrus; Small book, tablet, letter; Any... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | βυβλίον | Strip of papyrus; Small book, tablet, letter; Any... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | βύβλος | papyrus; book |
| 9 | Phoenician | 𐤂𐤁𐤋 | Byblos |
| 10 | Phoenician | 𐤀𐤋 | god, deity |
| 11 | Proto-Semitic | ʔil- | deity, god |
via English Isabel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Isabel | A place name |
| 2 | Spanish | Isabel | Elizabeth biblical character |
| 3 | Portuguese | Isabel | — |
| 4 | Old Occitan | Elisabel | — |
| 5 | Latin | Elisabeth | Elisabeth |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Ἐλισάβετ | Elizabeth mother of John the Baptist |
| 7 | Hebrew | אלישבע | my God is an oath; the Lord is her oath |
| 8 | Hebrew | אֵל | a God; God, deity; god, God |
| 9 | Hebrew | שמואל | — |
| 10 | Hebrew | שְׁמוּאֵל | — |